feature: introduction to wpi - 日本学術振興会 · 2018-12-10 · feature: introduction to wpi...

2013Winter

No. 46

FEATURE:Introduction to WPI

T O P I C S● Introduction to the World Premier International Research Center Initiative ............................................................. 2● 2013 Recipient Chosen for International Prize for Biology ............................................................................................... 4● Meeting of Heads of Research Councils in Asia Held in China ........................................................................................ 5● Supporting Young Researchers at STS forum and Informal Meeting for the Africa HORCs .................................. 5● Symposium Held with University of British Columbia ........................................................................................................ 5● 40th Anniversary Conference Held at Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies ..................................................... 6● JSPS London Cosponsors Symposium with University of Glasgow............................................................................... 6● JSPS London Holds Program Information Event at Kingston University London ..................................................... 6● JSPS Abend Held in Bonn .............................................................................................................................................................. 7● Strasbourg Office Gives Program Briefing at Aix Marseille Université .......................................................................... 7● Japan Week Held at University of Strasbourg ........................................................................................................................ 7● France-Japan Academic Forum Held at National Museum of Natural History .......................................................... 8● One-year Anniversary Event Held for Tohoku University Liaison Office in Sweden ................................................ 8● Japan-Sweden Academic Network Meeting Held in Stockholm .................................................................................... 8● JSPS-CASS Joint Symposium Held on Ecological Civilization .......................................................................................... 9● Alumni Seminar Held during Thailand Research Expo 2013 ............................................................................................ 9● JSPS-NRCT Seminar Held on Enhancing the Urban and Human Environment ......................................................... 9● JSPS Holds Orientation for Postdoctoral Fellows ................................................................................................................. 10● New Scheme Initiated for JSPS Bilateral Joint Research Projects and Seminars ....................................................... 10● Introducing JSPS Alumni Associations ..................................................................................................................................... 11● Science Dialogue .............................................................................................................................................................................. 12● Research and Life in Japan by a JSPS Fellow (28)/ Introducing Japan: Kyoto ............................................................ 14

2 WINTER 2013 No. 46 JSPS Quarterly http://www.jsps.go.jp/english/

The World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI Program) was launched in 2007 by the Ministry of Education and Science (MEXT) in a drive to build within Japan “globally visible” research centers that boast a very high research standard and outstanding research environment, sufficiently attractive to prompt frontline researchers from around the world to want to work in them. These centers are given a high degree of autonomy, allowing them to virtually revolutionize conventional modes of research operation and administration in Japan. The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science is entrusted by MEXT to carry out the program’s proposal screening and project assessment processes while performing other administrative functions as the program’s secretariat.

FEATURE

Introduction to the World Premier International Research Center Initiative

The research centers whose projects are selected for WPI grants meet the following criteria:1) Science: Top world-level scientific research2) Globalization: Internationalized research environment and

operation3) Fusion: Interdisciplinary domains generated by merging existing

research fields4) Reform: Revamped and streamlined research organization

Based on these criteria, five WPI centers were selected in FY 2007, to which another was added in FY 2010. These large-scale, long-duration WPI projects receive funding from the Japanese government in an annual amount of about ¥1.4 billion over 10-15 years. Then, in FY 2012 a WPI Focus Program was launched, under which three centers were selected. Altogether, nine WPI projects are in current operation.

Overseeing the full scope of those operations is the WPI Program Committee, comprising top-notch researchers, administrators, and

Doorway exhibit

Dr. Anzai with Dr. Imura at reception

financial specialists. One-third of the committee’s members are leading overseas researchers. Functioning under the Program Committee is a program director who jells together the entire WPI operation; program officers who are assigned to each center, and working groups that carry out site visits of each center. Each group has about six members, half of whom are researchers from other countries, including the US, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Finland and Mexico.

System of Program Management Unseen Elsewhere

The WPI Program incorporates a unique follow-up system to sustain and advance the thrust of each center’s research project. Each fiscal year, the WPI centers submit a progress report to the Follow-up team comprising the program director, assigned program officer, and working group. In turn, they conduct a site visit of the centers to further assess the progress being made in their research activities. During these visits, the team receives a report on the progress of the center’s previous year’s activities and holds discussions with its principal investigators and young researchers. Based on these various inputs, the team compiles a report and submits it to the Program Committee. Convening in the fall of every year, the Committee holds a hearing with the representatives of each center; and, based on these follow-up results, it reports to MEXT and provides advice to the centers. These results are posted for public access on the WPI webpage (jsps.go.jp/wpi). Each center is obligated to act upon the recommendations provided by the Program Committee and to describe the actions taken in their following year’s progress report.

Annual Reception

In conjunction with the Program Committee meeting each fall, JSPS hosts a dinner reception for the WPI center representatives, which is attended by officials of various embassies and government agencies. A subsidiary facet of this get-together is to spread the WPI Program’s appeal over a wide swath of countries and organizations. This year’s reception was held on 29 October at the Keio Plaza Hotel in Tokyo. It began with messages from MEXT minister Mr. Hakubun Shimomura and JSPS president Dr. Yuichiro Anzai. Then, WPI Program Committee chair Dr. Hiroo Imura proposed a toast, after which the participants enjoyed pleasant yet animated conversation with one another over dinner. A panel display on the research activities of each WPI center was set up at the doorway of the hall, where people gathered to share information on the latest scientific trends and engage each other in spirited exchanges of views. Throughout the gathering a charged atmosphere prevailed.

University-Industry Cooperation and Research Program Division

MEXT minister Mr. Shimomura giving message

3WINTER 2013 No. 46 JSPS Quarterly http://www.jsps.go.jp/english/

FEATURE

Talking with center directors

Introduction to WPI Centers

Tohoku UniversityAdvanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR)Center Director: Motoko Kotani URL: www.wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Advancing world-leading research in materials science AIMR conducts research which, by finding connections

between materials science and mathematics, formulates novel scientific principles that enable the development of new advanced materials. It is also engaged in developing devices and systems that make use of these materials in environmental problem solving and other societal applications.

The University of TokyoKavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU)Center Director: Hitoshi MurayamaURL: www.ipmu.jp/

Cross-disciplinary research exploring the origin and evolution of the universe

IPMU’s research addresses the most urgent issues of basic science such as dark energy, dark matter, and unified theories through close interdisciplinary collaboration between mathematics, physics and astronomy.

Kyoto UniversityInstitute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS)Center Director: Susumu KitagawaURL: www.icems.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Creating a new field of integrated cell-material science in the mesoscopic domain

iCeMS seeks to illuminate the chemical basis of cells, creating compounds to control cell processes in addition to sparking cellular processes to create chemical materials (cell-inspired materials), ultimately establishing an integrated “cellmaterial” science.

National Institute for Materials ScienceInternational Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA)Center Director: Masakazu AonoURL: www.nims.go.jp/mana/

Materials nanoarchitectonics—New paradigm of materials development

MANA’s aim is to create a new paradigm for materials development called “materials nanoarchitectonics.” Its project centers on developing nano-materials, nano-systems, nano-power, and “nano-life” such as artificial photosynthesis.

Osaka UniversityImmunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC)Center Director: Shizuo AkiraURL: www.ifrec.osaka-u.ac.jp

Observation of immune reaction—Unveiling dynamic networks of immunity

IFReC works to elucidate the behavior, activation status, and interaction of immune cells within the living body by fusing immunology, imaging technology, and bioinformatics. Ultimately, it seeks to develop vaccines based on controlling the dynamics of immune cells and establishing new immunotherapies.

Nagoya UniversityInstitute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM)Center Director: Kenichiro ItamiURL: http://www.itbm.nagoya-u.ac.jp

Changing the world with molecules: Synthetic chemistry and plant/animal biology

ITbM’s goal is to develop innovative molecules that will spawn a sea change in the form and nature of biological sciences and technologies (transformative bio-molecules). This challenge is being tackled by merging synthetic chemistry, catalysis chemistry, and plant/animal systems biology.

Tokyo Institute of TechnologyEarth-Life Science Institute (ELSI)Center Director: Kei HiroseURL: www.elsi.jp/en/

Globally advanced research exploring the origins of the Earth and life

ELSI focuses on the origins of the Earth and of life that originated in its unique early environment. In pursuing this research challenge, collaboration is forged among excellent researchers in Earth and planetary sciences, life science, and related research fields.

University of TsukubaInternational Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (IIIS)Center Director: Masashi YanagisawaURL: http://wpi-iiis.tsukuba.ac.jp

Advancing sleep medicine aimed at elucidating mechanisms of sleep and wakefulness

Conducting basic to clinical research, IIIS is working to elucidate sleep/wakefulness mechanisms with an eye to developing strategies for regulating sleep and contributing to the enhancement of world health by overcoming sleep disorders and associated illnesses.

Kyushu UniversityInternational Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I2CNER)Center Director: Petros SofronisURL: i2cner.kyushu-u.ac.jp

Grand highway for a carbon-neutral energy fueled world I2CNER’s mission is to conduct research on advancing low-

carbon emission, cost-effective, highly efficient energy systems. The ultimate aim of its research is to enable a hydrogen-powered society with CO2 capture and storage capacity or ability to convert CO2 into a useful product.


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Curriculum Vitae: 1967 Assistant Professor, Department of Genetics,

University of Washington 1968 Ph.D. University of Chicago 1973 Associate Professor, Department of Genetics,

University of Washington 1978 Professor, Department of Genetics, University of

Washington 2001-present Professor, Department of Genome Sciences,

University of Washington 2003-present Professor, Department of Biology, University of

Washington (jointly with Department of Genome Sciences)

Awards and Distinctions: 1993 Sewall Wright Award, American Society of

Naturalists 1999 Elected to membership, National Academy of

Sciences 2000 Weldon Memorial Prize, University of Oxford 2002 President’s Award for Excellence in Systematics,

Society of Systematic Biology 2009 Darwin-Wallace Medal, Linnean Society of

London 2009 John J. Carty Award for the Advancement of

Science, National Academy of Sciences

2013 Recipient Chosen for International Prize for Biology

On 17 September, the Committee on the International Prize for Biology (chaired by Dr. Takashi Sugimura, then vice president of the Japan Academy) of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science decided to present the 29th (2013) International Prize for Biology to Dr. Joseph Felsenstein, a professor at the University of Washington in the United States.

The field of special ization for this year’s Prize is “Biology of Evolution.” Dr. Felsenstein has contributed greatly to the advancement of evolutionary phylogenetics. The most noteworthy of his achievements has been to establish the maximum-l ike l ihood approach for inferring molecular phylogenies (evolutionary trees) and to develop a package of phylogeny inference programs. A maximum-likel ihood method for constructing population phylogenies using allele frequency data from small number of populations had been proposed in the 1960s, but Dr. Felsenstein presented a new algorithm and developed a computational program that can construct maximum-likelihood trees for large number of populations. In 1981, he proposed a method for carrying out maximum-likelihood estimation of gene phylogenies f rom DNA sequences and wro te a computer program to infer phylogenies. This has s ince grown to become a

Dr. Joseph Felsenstein

Nationality: United States of AmericaPresent position: Professor, University of Washington, USA

International Policy Planning Division

comprehensive software package, known as PHYLIP, that includes programs not only for maximum-likelihood but also for maximum-parsimony and distance matrix methods, and it has contributed enormously to the work of reconstructing phylogenies from morphological as well as molecular data. Meanwhile, in a paper he published in 1978, Dr. Felsenstein demonstrated, using a stochastic model, that for certain phylogenies the parsimony method of constructing trees would become more and more likely to construct a misleading tree as more data were collected, in spite of the superficial philosophical soundness of this method based on the principle of parsimony (“Occam’s razor”). Today, this phenomenon is known as the “Felsenstein Zone .” The demons t r a t i on gave a serious blow to cladists, who had long considered parsimony the most important approach, and led to maximum-likelihood and distance matrix methods being incorporated into phylogenetics.

In 1985, Dr. Felsenstein introduced the bootstrap, a newly invented method in theoretical statistics, to measure the confidence limits for different branches in phylogenetic trees. Today, the bootstrap is widely used in constructing phylogenies. In another paper he published that same year, he proposed the “contrasts method” for evaluating whether two characters that are changing along a tree are evolving in a

correlated way; this became fundamental to the development of phylogenetic comparative methods, especially in ecology.

Award Ceremony

The award ceremony was held on 18 November at the Japan Academy. Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress attended the ceremony and a party held in honor of the award recipient.

Commemorative Symposium

To commemorate the award to Dr. Felsenstein, the 29th International Prize for Biology Commemorative Symposium on Neurobiology was held on 21-22 November in Fukuoka.

Dr. Joseph Felsenstein


On 27-28 September, the 11th meeting of the Heads of Research Councils in Asia (A-HORCs) was held in Chengdu, China, hosted by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). These meetings are convened annually for the purpose of allowing the heads of the top science-promotion organizations in Japan, China and Korea to meet and exchange views on their countries’ S&T policies and other matters of mutual interest. This year’s meeting was attended by JSPS president Dr. Yuichiro Anzai, NSFC president Dr. Wei Yang, and Dr. Gulwoo Lee, director general, National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF).

Each gave a country presentation on the theme “Talent Training,” and they exchanged information and views on the S&T strategies of each country. The members also discussed the group’s two jointly implemented programs: A3 Foresight Program and Northeastern Asian Symposiums.

Just prior to the meeting, the 15th Northeastern Asian Symposium was held on 23-24 September. Themed “Method and Modeling for

On 28-30 of August, JSPS’s San Francisco Office held a jointly sponsored symposium with the University of British Columbia on the theme of “Early Modern Japanese Values and Individuality.” It revisited pre-industrial Japan with an aim of enhancing our understanding of those earlier values and how they have contributed to the emergence of today’s Japan.

The symposium programmed six panels into its 3-day schedule. They featured lectures by five researchers from Japanese universities, eight from American universities, and five from Canadian universities. The lecturers delved into changes that had occurred in the Japanese people’s values and sense of individuality from the end of the Edo to the beginning of the Meiji period, using various devices and contexts such as 19th century legends, ukiyo-e woodblock prints, the emancipation of the burakumin (Japan’s historical underclass), and bushido (the way of the samurai). These unique lectures gave the audience a vivid impression of culture and thought in early modern Japan.

Supporting Young Researchers at STS forum and Informal Meeting for the Africa HORCs

Meeting of Heads of Research Councils in Asia Held in China

Symposium Held with University of British Columbia

On 6-8 October, the tenth annual meeting of the Science and Technology in Society (STS) forum was held in Kyoto, Japan. As in previous years, it attracted leaders in government, industry and higher education from around the world. As part of its mission to foster the next generation of excellent scientists, JSPS supports the participation in

Dr. Lee, Dr. Yang and Dr. Anzai gathered after the Meeting

Opening remarks by Dr. Takeda, JSPS San Francisco Office director

Group of young researchers

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High Performance Scientific Computing,” it provided the groundwork for researchers attending the symposium from the three East Asian countries to initiate future joint research projects.

Next year, the 12th A-HORCs meeting and 16th Northeastern Asian Symposium will be hosted by NRF in South Korea.


The event also provided a valuable opportunity for young scholars interested in Japanese history and culture to acquire deeper dimensions of knowledge from leading researchers in the field of early modern Japanese values.

JSPS San Francisco Office

the forum of ten young researchers from both Japan and other countries.On the day before the forum, JSPS president Dr. Yuichiro Anzai

hosted a luncheon for the young researchers, which was attended by Prof. Yuan Tseh Lee, Nobel laureate in chemistry and president emeritus of Academia Sinica. Dr. Anzai and Prof. Lee offered strong words of encouragement to the young researchers. Pleasant conversation was enjoyed by all amidst a congenial atmosphere throughout.

Representing the group of young researchers, Dr. Emily Hodges of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the US gave a speech in the plenary session on the forum’s final day, in which she commented on the significance of her participation in the event held to address issues on a global scale and what she had learned in the process.

Taking advantage of representatives from African research councils being assembled at the forum, JSPS held an informal luncheon meeting with them. At it, each reported on their council’s latest science and technology programs carried out in Africa. That was followed by an exchange of views on the future potential for research networking in the African region and beyond.



To commemorate 130 Years of Glasgow-Japan Collaboration in Chemistry, a symposium was held on 5-6 September at the University of Glasgow. It was held in honour of Prof. Jokichi Takamine, who had stayed in Glasgow to do research in the 1880’s and later developed

On September 26-27, a 40th Anniversary Conference was held at Harvard University’s Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies. Its theme was “Japan Re-Examined: Perspectives Since 1973,” reflecting back over events and happenings in Japan and Japan studies across the 40-year period since the Reischauer Institute was established in 1973.

The conference was divided into Session 1 on the first day and Session 2 on the second.

Under the theme “Constitutional Revision Since 1973 and Beyond,” the revision of Japan’s constitution was considered as an historical phenomenon reaching back to the Meiji period and from the perspective of Japan’s domestic politics and as a current issue in its international relations. Then, under the theme “The Question of Change: Forty Years of Japan,” lectures were given by US and Japanese researchers from vantage points of history, religious studies, sociology, and media studies.

On both days, the hall was filled to standing room capacity,

On 27 September, the JSPS London Office held a briefing on JSPS’s programs at Kingston University, located on the outskirts of the city. Founded in 1899, Kingston University has an undergraduate student body of over 22,000 strong. In it and its affiliated graduate school, more than 10% of the students are from other countries. Offering master’s courses in such fields as Art and Design History, Art Market Appraisal, Film Making, and Curating Contemporary Design, the university’s humanities and social science programs enjoy a very high level of popularity among Japanese students. Established in 2001, the Curating Contemporary Design master’s course draws a particularly large number of students from around the world, as it enables them to acquire skills in curating and interpreting contemporary design within the museum and cultural realms, while learning how to mend and restore garments.

Prof. Barbara Pierscionek, associate dean of Research and Enterprise, coordinated the Office’s program information event at the university. JSPS London director Prof. Kozo Hiramatsu and three members of his staff described JSPS’s fellowship and other programs to 20 participants, who asked a variety of questions including about the situation with the downed power plants in Fukushima. Answering

JSPS London Cosponsors Symposium with University of Glasgow

40th Anniversary Conference Held at Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies

JSPS London Holds Program Information Event at Kingston University London

a highly successful enzymatic process back in Japan. The event was organized by Dr. Rudi Marquez, Ian Sword Reader in Organic Chemistry at University of Glasgow, and Prof. Keisuke Suzuki of the Tokyo Institute of Technology. It was attended by over 100 researchers from both in and outside the UK. To kindle the zeal of the next generation of scientists, young researchers from both the UK and Japan were invited as well. As an ancillary, a presentation on JSPS activities and funding initiatives was given by a member of JSPS London’s staff.

Celebrating the long-enjoyed relationship between the Scottish city of Glasgow and Japan, the symposium featured 12 lectures: Five by Japanese researchers and seven by UK researchers based at the university and other institutions in Glasgow. The interdisciplinary nature of the program, which included lectures on chemical genetics that reveal new insights into virulent gene regulation and on antibacterial and other minor groove DNA binders, lured into attendance researchers in biology, proteomics and other fields outside chemistry.

JSPS London Office

bespeaking the overwhelming success of the event. After each presentation, the participants pelted the lecturers with questions and engaged them in spirited discussions right up to the last second allocated for Q&A.

JSPS Washington Office

their inquiries with the latest available information, the staff offered supplemental information on the research and living environments in Japan and on many of the country’s alluring features. With questions from the participants spilling over beyond the briefing and answered by individual members of the staff, the high degree of Kingston student interest in Japan and JSPS programs was readily apparent.

JSPS London Office

Speakers and Dr. Rudi Marquez (center) with JSPS London Staff

Panel members fielding questions

Program briefing

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On 19 September, the JSPS Strasbourg Office held a program introductory meeting at the Aix Marseille Université in Aix-en-Provence. Vice president Prof. Sylvie Daviet welcomed our group and explained the university’s international strategy.

Before the meeting, the office staff visited the university’s Faculty of Law, which is one of France’s most prestigious law schools, and

From 14-20 October, the University of Strasbourg (UDS) held “Japan Week” in cooperation with several related organizations including JSPS’s Strasbourg Office. On the 14th, the Office and la Maison Universitaire France-Japon (MUFJ) jointly held the Week’s first event—a conference centered around Prof. Sawako Takeuchi, president of Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris. Following opening speeches by Prof. Alain Beretz, president of UDS, Mr. Susumu Hasegawa, Consul General of Japan in Strasbourg, and Mr. Audré Klein, president of CEEJA, Prof. Tekeuchi delivered a lecture on “Innovation of Japan: Universal Aspects and Specific Aspects.” The audience of more than 70 people listened intently to her presentation and enjoyed the pieces of beautiful Japanese traditional art she use along with contrasting images of modern innovation to illustrate her points. On the 16th, the Office and UDS jointly held a seminar featuring Prof. Kosaku Yoshino from Sophia University, who spoke on the topic “Nationalism and Patriotism in Contemporary Japan: A

Strasbourg Office Gives Program Briefing at Aix Marseille Université

Japan Week Held at University of Strasbourg

meet with members of the university’s research centers and CNRS. Dr. Sandrine Maljean-Dubois, director of CERIC (Centre d’Etudes et de Recherches Internationales et Communautaires) described the Center’s programs. Dr. Philippe Mossé, who coordinated our visit, introduced us to LEST (Laboratoire d’Economie et de Sociologie du Travail), where its director Prof. Ariel Mendez and former head of CNRS International Affairs Dr. Daniel Pardo explained the history of research cooperation with Japan in their institutes, including Dr. Philippe Mossé’s socio-economic joint research with Prof. Tetsu Harayama of Toyo University. Close collaborations are ongoing with Japan at both CERIC and the LEST.

At the ensuing JSPS introductory meeting, we introduced JSPS’s various fellowship and bilateral exchange programs. Listening intently to messages from former JSPS fellow Dr. Isabelle Sasaki, currently president of the JSPS French Alumni Association, Dr. Mossé, and Dr. Christine Condominas, head of the university’s Japanese Department, the participants engaged them in probing Q&A discussions.

JSPS Strasbourg Office

Sociological Enquiry.” His lecture evoked an enthusiastic discussion with the audience. This weeklong event highlighted various aspects of Japanese life and culture, including exhibits of Japanese art, a tea ceremony, Japanese kimono dressing, and even Japanese films shown in a downtown Strasbourg theater.


With Prof. Sylvie Daviet

Prof. Takeuchi at the conference Prof. Yoshino in the seminar

On 7th October, the Bonn Office held JSPS Abend 2013 in Bonn. This event is held every year to introduce JSPS’s activities and expand the office’s circle of German counterpart agencies, universities, and researchers.

The event started with JSPS executive director Dr. Makoto Asashima extending warm words of thanks to the attendees for the support they give JSPS’s programs and the office’s initiatives. He was followed by messages of encouragement from Prof. Dr. Horst Hippler, president, German Rectors’ Conference, Dr. Dorothea Rüland, secretary general, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Dr. Enno Aufderheide, secretary general, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and Mr. Takayuki Miyashita, minister of the Japanese Embassy. Adding a special touch of elegance to the event, two young German musicians played pieces from Beethoven. Then, Prof. Dr. Heinrich Menkhaus, chair, German JSPS Club proposed a hardy toast.

Toward the meeting’s end, Dr. Asashima delivered a special lecture, titled “Control of Organogenesis and Regeneration in

JSPS Abend Held in Bonn

Prof. Dr. Hippler giving remarks

Vertebrate Development,” delving into a wide array of topics from the history of experimental morphology to iPS cell breakthroughs.

With a friendly atmosphere prevailing throughout, the event ended on a note of appreciation by Bonn Office director Prof. Dr. Keiichi Kodaira.

JSPS Bonn Office


On 10 September, an event was held to celebrate the first year of Tohoku University Liaison Office’s establishment on the premises of the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) along with an international workshop on “Flow Dynamics Related to Energy, Aerospace and Material Processing.” Held on KTH’s campus, the event was co-organized by the JSPS Stockholm Office, KTH, and Tohoku University. Attending the ceremony and workshop from Tohoku University were its president Dr. Susumu Satomi, executive vice presidents Dr. Toshiya Ueki and Dr. Sadayoshi Ito, along with researchers—a total of 20 people—from its Institute of Fluid Science. The 25 participants from KTH included its president Dr. Peter Gudmundson, vice-president Dr. Ramon Wyss, and researchers from its Mechanics Faculty. The participants from the two universities animated the workshop with vibrant discussions. That evening, a splendid ceremony was held, graced by a performance of traditional Swedish music.

On 1 October, KTH opened a liaison office in Tohoku University.

On 24-25 October, a France-Japan Academic Forum titled “Interplay between Hominids and Environment Over Time” was held in the Grand Gallery of Evolution at the National Museum of Natural History (MNHN) in Paris. Co-organized by JSPS, MNHN, Pierre and Marie Curie University-Paris 6 (UPMC) and National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), the forum featured 14 eminent

On 17 October, JSPS held the second meeting of the Japan-Sweden Academic Network jointly with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (KVA) and the Japanese embassy. Venued at KVA, the meeting began with a message of greeting from the Academy’s

One-year Anniversary Event Held for Tohoku University Liaison Office in Sweden

France-Japan Academic Forum Held at National Museum of Natural History

Japan-Sweden Academic Network Meeting Held in Stockholm

The JSPS Stockholm Office vigorously promotes interactions between the researchers and students of the two institutions, and will increase its support for joint researches between them.

JSPS Stockholm Office

researchers from Japan and France.Coordinated by Prof. Brigitte Senut (MNHN) and Prof. Hideo

Nakaya (Kagoshima University), the forum took a step in advancing integrated and multidisciplinary research on the interplay between the physical and cultural evolution of humans and changes in the Earth’s environment.

Following senior lectures on “African hominoid evolution and environmental backgrounds” by Prof. Hidemi Ishida (Seisen University) and “Diversity of environments and Hominines in time and space” by Prof. Yves Coppens (College of France), five specialized sessions were held on “Emergence of the Human Lineage,” “Pre-humans: Where, When and How?,” “Homo Sapiens: Dispersions,” “Cognition and Artistic Representation,” and “Neolithization: The Anthropization of the Landscape.” An audience of about 80 people listened studiously to the presentations in each session and engaged the speakers in lively discussions. *A video of the forum can be viewed at: http://vimeo.com/album/2592547


Event participants

Forum participants

Dr. Staffan Normark giving speech

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permanent secretary Dr. Staffan Normark, after whom the keynote address was delivered by Dr. Akira Kaneko, professor, Karolinska Institutet, on the theme “Malaria Elimination on Islands.”

This series of meetings was launched last year for the purpose of strengthening academic exchange between the two countries. This second meeting of the “network” attracted a high level of interest among people in the area, having been attended by Japanese researchers working in Sweden, past Swedish participants in JSPS programs, former Japanese government-financed students, and Swedish researchers interested in carrying out collaborative activities with Japanese colleagues.

Our Stockholm Office introduced JSPS fellowship and exchange programs to young Swedish researchers thinking about studying in Japan, after which a discussion ensued on such topics as strengthening linkage between the JSPS Office and international exchange administrators of universities in Stockholm.

JSPS Stockholm Office


On 25 August, the third day of Thailand Research Expo 2013, a seminar was held jointly by JSPS and the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) on the theme “Towards the Creation of a Fair, Caring and Sharing Society—Lessons Learned from Two City Cases in Japan.”

Kicking off the program, NRCT secretary general Prof. Dr. Soottiporn Chittmittrapap offered welcoming remarks. Included under the seminar’s theme were topics of aging society and low-carbon society, which are

Now in its eighth year, Thailand Research Expo showcases research that reflects innovative ideas and efforts advanced to bring about the sustainable growth of the nation. This 2013 event was held in August from 23-27. On its first day, the JSPS Alumni Association of Thailand (JAAT) put on a seminar titled “Academic Initiatives in Thailand Transport Infrastructure Development.” Chaired by JAAT Executive Committee member Dr. Malee Uabharadorn, a discussion was advanced from the perspective of both the public and private sides on cases of infrastructure development both in and outside Thailand, with particular focus on a Thai national project that invests 2-trillion baths into infrastructure development.

After JAAT president Dr. Busaba Yongsmith and NRCT secretary general Dr. Soottiporn Chittmittrapap offered opening remarks, Dr. Zhi Liu of the World Bank Office in Beijing, Mr. Jamie Leather of the Asian Development Bank, and Associate Professor Hironori Kato of the University of Tokyo introduced case studies on installing high-speed rail in China and Japan and through the World Bank. Then, Dr. Pongchai

On 11 October, JSPS and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) held a joint symposium in Beijing on the theme “Ecological Civilization: Managing Development and Economics for Sustainability.” The symposium addressed four juxtaposed themes: Concept and direction, policy and practice, actions and Sino-Japan collaboration, and management and evaluation. Presentations were given on them by

JSPS-NRCT Seminar Held on Enhancing the Urban and Human Environment

Alumni Seminar Held during Thailand Research Expo 2013

JSPS-CASS Joint Symposium Held on Ecological Civilization

Athikomrattanakul, assistant professor at King Mongkut’s University of Technology, and Mr. Thibodee Harnprasert of the Institute of Industrial Energy, Federation of Thai Industries, gave lectures on infrastructure building from the viewpoints of a Thai researcher and a Thai entrepreneur-cum-investor.

As there is still ample room for discussion regarding ways to implement investment in the aforementioned 2-trillion-baht infrastructure project, the lecturers and participants of this seminar were able to take advantage of it as a platform for exchanging many insightful views.

JSPS Bangkok Office

Japanese and Chinese specialists, to whom volleys of questions were asked by members of the some 50 mostly young CASS researcher audience.

As one of China’s most pressing issues, “ecological civilization” is an area of research already being advanced through Sino-Japanese cooperation. Recently, air pollution has become an especially serious problem in Beijing and along China’s coastal region. In the future, it is envisioned that environmental issues will be an increasingly more important area of collaboration between Japan and China.

At the symposium, presentations were given by Nagoya University professor Soemon Takakuwa, who is a former coordinator of JSPS’s Asian CORE Program, Kyoto University professor Kazuhiro Ueda, Tohoku University professor Jusen Asuka, and Mr. Yuta Okazaki, deputy director, Environment and Economy Division, Ministry of the Environment. They and other researchers and administrators engaged in Sino-Japanese cooperation in the environmental area advanced this critical dialogue in ways that amplified the objectives of the symposium.

In the future as well, the JSPS Beijing Office and CASS will continue holding this kind of timely joint symposiums.

JSPS Beijing Office

Dr. Yongsmith (right) giving speech

Presenters with JSPS & CASS staffs

Seasonal Events

of common importance to both Thailand and Japan. So, the case studies presented from Japan proved very beneficial in delving deeply into these and other prevailing urban issues.

In the morning, a session was held on the theme “Elder Care Issues in Japan: Community Based Empowerment Interventions.” Citing a case in Omuta city, Dr. Miyuki Inaba, associate professor, Graduate School of Human-Environment Studies, Kyushu University, gave the lecturer and Dr. Wilaiporn Kotbungkair of the Faculty of Social Administration, Thammasat University, served as the moderator.

Then, in the afternoon, a session was held on the theme “Lifestyle Choice and Transformation towards Low-Carbon Societies in the Case of Energy Saving/Alternative Energy Choosing Activities in Kawasaki City” with Dr. Masahisa Sato, associate professor, Faculty of Environmental and Information Studies, Tokyo City University, as the lecturer and Dr. Athapol Anunthavorasakul, assistant professor, Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University, as the moderator.

With an advancing aging society in Thailand as well as Japan and a common need to conserve energy and use alternative energy sources, the cases examined of the Japanese cities Kawasaki and Omuta are thought to be of helpful reference to Thailand in the future.

JSPS Bangkok Office


Seasonal Events

On 26-28 August, JSPS held its Orientation for Postdoctoral Fellows at Hotel Monterey Hanzomon in Tokyo. JSPS headquarters holds this 2.5-day orientation four or five times every year for newly arriving postdoctoral fellows to give them a jump at the start of their fellowship tenures in Japan. The orientation includes lectures on various aspects of daily life and research in Japan, as well as on such topics as science-promotion trends in Japan and methods of learning Japanese, each presented by experts in the subject field.

This time, 27 fellows from around the world assembled for the orientation. Taking in the lectures, they exchanged views on an array of matters related to living and doing research in Japan. They also took a crash course on Japanese language learning techniques. Adding an extra dimension of interest to the get-together, the participants visited cultural sites around Tokyo and participated in a tea ceremony.

A questionnaire that they took showed the factors that most motivated the participants to join the orientation to be “getting to know other fellows” and “acclimating to their new life in Japan.” JSPS

The program “Open Partnership Joint Projects/Seminars” (Open Partnership) was launched in August under JSPS’s framework for bilateral joint research projects and seminars. JSPS has up to now supported bilateral activities with a limited number of countries that have JSPS partner institutions (standard scheme). Under this new Open Partnership scheme, Japanese researchers are able to collaborate with researchers in any country or region that has diplomatic relations with Japan, including Taiwan and Palestine.

Open Partnership Scheme

Standard Scheme

For Overseas ResearchersIf you would like to conduct a joint research project or seminar with Japanese researchers, please encourage your Japanese counterparts to apply for Open Partnership funding.

JSPS Holds Orientation for Postdoctoral Fellows

will continue to give new fellows an ideal opportunity to do these things through its orientation program.

Overseas Fellowship Division

Postdocs on Tokyo excursion

For Overseas Funding AgenciesIf you do not have an MoU with JSPS, please consider providing this funding opportunity to researchers in your country who are interested in conducting joint research projects or seminars with Japanese colleagues. If you have an existing program to promote scientific cooperation with Japan, Open Partnership provides matching funds for the collaborating Japanese teams.

FAQs on Open Partnership Joint Projects and Seminars

Q: How does the application process work?A: Japanese researchers submit a proposal to JSPS. Counterpart

researchers are expected but not required to secure matching funds from a funding agency in their own country.

Q: What fields of research are supported?A: All fields of the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences

are supported.Q: What expenses are covered?A: The grant supports the expenses of the Japanese teams,

mainly for travel to and lodging in counterpart countries.Joint Projects: Up to ¥2,500,000 per year (up to 2 years)Seminars: Up to ¥2,500,000 (up to 1 week)

Q: What counterpart countries or regions have been selected under this program in 2013?

A: Armenia, Australia, Brazil, Brunei, Chile, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mongol, Myanmar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia, Turkey, UK, Ukraine, the US, and Vietnam.

Q: When will the next call for proposals be issued?A: It was issued in November 2013 and will close in February 2014.

Please refer to the following webpage for details: http://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-bilat/index.html

Bilateral Cooperation Division

JSPS

Japanese Researchers

Overseas Researchers

Joint Research Projects

Joint Seminars

Proposal Support

Consultation

Any Funding Agencies

A CB

JSPSCounterpart Institutions

Japanese Researchers

Overseas Researchers

Joint Research Projects

Joint Seminars

Proposal Support

Consultation

Proposal Support

MOU

New Scheme Initiated for JSPS Bilateral Joint Research Projects and Seminars

Researchers of other countries: If you wish to carry out a research project or seminar with Japanese colleagues, here is a new funding opportunity to do so!


The JSPS Fellow Alumni Association in China was established on 20 November 2010 for the purpose of promoting exchange and friendship among its members and mutual understanding between China and Japan. The association works to contribute to advancing scientific exchange between the two countries while carrying out scientific, educational and cultural activities with a global reach.

As of September, the association had 1,187 members, which is the most of any JSPS alumni association. Dr. Xiang Yu, professor at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, chairs the association, which has four vice chairs, 15 directors and 30 director-cum-branch leaders within its executive. Structurally, the alumni organization is made up of seven districts and 35 branches. Given the large landmass of China, it is difficult for all the members to attend a general meeting held in one city; therefore, the association’s activities are not only carried out on a national level, but effort is also being exerted to invigorate the association’s activities in each of its branches. In FY 2012, branch meetings were held in Changchun by the Jilin branch and Xi’an by the Shanxi branch. As branch activities, every year two or more symposiums, JSPS program briefings, or member get-togethers are held and usually mediated by branch members.

As a component of the association’s operation, every year a directors meeting and general meeting are held. At the general meeting open to all the members, the proceedings of the directors meeting are reported and members who participated in the BRIDGE Fellowship Program give presentations on the results of their research during their revisits to Japan. Introducing achievements made through joint Sino-Japanese research, they spur interest among other members in applying for future BRIDGE Fellowships. As of 2012, three general meetings have been held since the association’s establishment. Attended by a large number of members, all the meetings enjoyed very successful outcomes. The fourth meeting will be held in December in Guangzhou.

JSPS Fellow Alumni Association in China

On the day before the Guangzhou meeting, a joint symposium, titled “International Workshop on Frontier of Science and Technology,” will be held by JSPS and its China counterparts: Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). The alumni association’s chair Prof. Xiang Yu and vice-chair Prof. Hong Zhang are scheduled to give presentations on “Research and Knowledge Assets” and “Molecular Imaging Technologies” at the symposium, which is tailored to promote cooperation among the members in enhancing the association’s activities and carrying out scientific research activities.

As another of the association’s activities, our members attend program briefings held by the JSPS Beijing Office at research institutions around China,

in which they introduce JSPS’s activities by giving talks on their own experiences in Japan.

As a new activity, the association has begun conducting an exchange with its colleagues in the JSPS Alumni Association of Thailand (JAAT). In February, our chair Prof. Xiang Yu went to Bangkok to attend JAAT’s general meeting. At the concurrently held ceremony for awarding RONPAKU medals, he delivered a lecture targeted to young researchers, titled “International Exchange Promoting Common Development and Understanding.” Next, JAAT president Dr. Busaba Yongsmith is scheduled to attend the Chinese association’s general meeting in December. JSPS Beijing and Bangkok Offices, which serve as the secretariats of the two alumni associations, are deepening exchange by holding a televised meeting and other means.

Though it has not been that long since the establishment of the Chinese alumni association, it has already amassed more than 1,000 members, foretelling an ever-greater volume and intensity of research exchange in the future. We will work vigorously with the JSPS Beijing Office to bring about our alumni association’s continued growth and escalating success.

Introducing JSPS Alumni Associations

Dr. Busaba Yongsmith and Prof. Xiang Yu

Alumni members assembled at Annual Meeting


cience ialogueThe following fellows participated in JSPS’s Science Dialogue Program during the period from July through September 2013. For details about the program, please see its website: http://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-plaza/e-sdialogue/.

Overseas Fellowship Division

Iwate Prefectural Kamaishi High School

Date: 30 SeptemberDr. Suchismita MISHRA (India)Host institution: National Institute of Radiological SciencesTitle: “Radiation in Environment Around Fukushima”

Fukushima Prefectural Fukushima High School

Date: 6 SeptemberDr. Anton MYALITSIN (Germany)Host institution: RIKENTitle: “Non-linear Spectroscopy of the Surface”

Dr. Ferenc SZOLLOSI (Hungary)Host institution: Tohoku UniversityTitle: “Mathematical Perspectives from a Foreigner Living in Japan”

Dr. Alexey TOLSTOV (Russia)Host institution: RIKENTitle: “Supernovae and Gamma-Ray Bursts: The Most Powerful Explosions in the Universe”

Date: 13 SeptemberDr. Savannah S. GARMON (USA)Host institution: The University of TokyoTitle: “Science As a Gateway to the World: Physics of Open Quantum Systems”

Dr. Daniele MAGISTRO (Italy)Host institution: Tohoku UniversityTitle: “Aerobic Endurance and Working Memory: Dual Task Training. Its Effects on Working Memory Aspects and Rest Brain Activities in Elderly People.”

Dr. Sujata MANANDHAR (Nepal)Host institution: Tohoku UniversityTitle: “Water Resources and Climate Change”

Dr. Tomio S. TAKAHASHI (France)Host institution: The University of TokyoTitle: “Resolution of 3D Structure of Proteins Involved in DNA Damage Repair Using X-ray Diffraction of Protein Crystal”

Tochigi Prefectural Utsunomiya Girls’ High School

Date: 26 SeptemberDr. Thomas J. NIERHOFF (Germany)Host institution: The University of TokyoTitle: “Robotic Billiards”

Dr. Yuen Yu A. TAM (UK)Host institution: Keio UniversityTitle: “Life of a Research Scientist”

Dr. Manasikan THAMMAWONG (Thailand)Host institution: National Agriculture and Food Research OrganizationTitle: “Postharvest Handling and Quality Maintenance of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables”

Dr. Eva C. WIKBERG (Sweden)Host institution: The University of TokyoTitle: “Primate Research”

Saitama Prefectural Kawagoe-Girls’ High School

Date: 16 JulyDr. Eva-Maria TANZER (Germany)Host institution: Tokyo Institute of TechnologyTitle: “Organic Chemistry: A Story of Catalysis and Totalsynthesis”

Saitama Prefectural Kumagaya Girls’ High School

Date: 17 JulyDr. Ludmila COJOCARU (Moldova)Host institution: The University of TokyoTitle: “Some Information about Moldova, France and Third Generation Solar Cells: DSCs-Dye Sensitized Solar Cells”

Dr. Melanie M. GODART (Belgium)Host institution: The University of TokyoTitle: “A Personal Introduction to Astrophysics”

Dr. Azam HASSANINASAB (Iran)Host institution: University of TsukubaTitle: “The Microbe World”

Saitama Prefectural Urawa Daiichi Girls’ Senior High School

Date: 28 SeptemberDr. Karen M. LEWIS (Australia)Host institution: Tokyo Institute of TechnologyTitle: “Exploring New Worlds: Perspectives and Research of an Australian JSPS Postdoctoral Scientist”

Chiba Municipal Chiba High School (Chiba)

Date: 24 SeptemberDr. John RUSSO (Italy)Host institution: The University of TokyoTitle: “The Mysteries of Water”

Chiba Prefectural Chosei Senior High School

Date: 19 SeptemberDr. Valerio SALVUCCI (Italy)Host institution: The University of TokyoTitle: “Vale, Italy, and Robots”

Chiba Prefectural Funabashi Senior High School

Date: 10 JulyDr. Bishnu P. BASTAKOTI (Nepal)Host institution: National Institute for Materials ScienceTitle: “A Small Size with Huge Potential: Nanoparticles”

Junior High and Senior High School at Komaba, University of Tsukuba (Tokyo)

Date: 14 SeptemberDr. Amy Y. C. HSIAO (USA)Host institution: The University of TokyoTitle: “Modeling the Human Body”

Date: 28 SeptemberDr. Karl WU (Taiwan)Host institution: Chukyo UniversityTitle: “The Idea of Scientific Studies”

Kanagawa Prefectural Kanagawa Sogo Sangyo High School

Date: 21 SeptemberDr. Bu-Chin YU (Taiwan)Host institution: The University of TokyoTitle: “Multiple Mechanisms of Natural Products for Prevention of Obesity”

Ishikawa Prefectural Nanao High School

Date: 11 JulyDr. Anthony T. H. BEAUCAMP (France)Host institution: Chubu UniversityTitle: “Optics Manufacturing in the 21st Century”

Dr. Marco M. CANDEIAS (Portugal)Host institution: Kyoto UniversityTitle: “The Adventures of Scientist Marco”

Dr. Roman KRCMAR (Slovakia)Host institution: Kobe UniversityTitle: “Being Roman Krcmar”

Dr. Shiu-Hang LEE (China)Host institution: RIKENTitle: “The Extreme Universe”

Date: 18 SeptemberDr. Claudia WESSEL (Germany)Host institution: Kyoto UniversityTitle: “Introduction to Computational Chemistry”

Fukui Prefectural Fujishima Senior High School

Date: 5 JulyDr. Gyorgy BAZAR (Hungary)Host institution: Kobe UniversityTitle: “How Agriculture Helped Space Science”


Date: 27 SeptemberDr. Rustam T. OROZBAEV (Kyrgyzstan)Host institution: Kyoto UniversityTitle: “Geology, Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks: Why Study Them?”

Fukui Prefectural Takefu High School

Date: 10 JulyDr. Georgia R. KAFER (Australia)Host institution: Kyoto UniversityTitle: “Differentiation: From 1 Cell Type to 300 Cell Types!”

Yamanashi Prefectual Hikawa High School

Date: 26 SeptemberDr. Tae-Jun KWON (Canada)Host institution: RIKENTitle: “Biology, Computers, and Some Fruit Flies”

Yamanashi Prefectural Kofu Higashi High School

Date: 27 JulyDr. Suraphong YUMA (Thailand)Host institution: The University of TokyoTitle: “From Bangkok to the Early Universe”

Yamanashi Prefectural Kofu Minami Senior High School

Date: 13 SeptemberDr. Pierre E. ALLAIN (France)Host institution: The University of TokyoTitle: “About Research, Atoms and ‘Nanoscopes’”

Yamanashi Prefectural Tsuru High School

Date: 12 JulyDr. Joshua CHOU (Australia)Host institution: Musashino UniversityTitle: “Secret Material from The Sea”

Yamanashi Prefectural Yoshida Senior High School

Date: 29 AugustDr. Timothy D. KOWALCZYK (USA)Host institution: Nagoya UniversityTitle: “Designing New Molecules on a Computer”

Nagano Prefecture Suwa Seiryo High School

Date: 22 JulyDr. Ying Y. WANG (China)Host institution: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and TechnologyTitle: “Introduction to Cancer Basics”

Date: 23 JulyDr. Ivan V. BORZENETS (USA)Host institution: The University of TokyoTitle: “Towards a Graphene-based Quantum Entangler”

Shizuoka Prefectural Hamamatsu Minami High School

Date: 15 August Dr. Matyas GUTAI (Hungary)Host institution: The University of TokyoTitle: “All Water House: Innovation and Sustainable Housing”

Shizuoka Prefectural Iwata Minami High School

Date: 3 JulyDr. Nicholas GOWER (UK)Host institution: Kyoto UniversityTitle: “Sustainable Catalysis in Modern Organic Synthesis”

Aichi Prefectural Jishukan Senior High School

Date: 2 AugustDr. Jinguang CHENG (China)Host institution: The University of TokyoTitle: “High Pressure Induced Phase Transitions”

Dr. Arnout R. D. VOET (Belgium)Host institution: RIKENTitle: “How to Design a Drug”

Shiga Prefectural Hikone Higashi High School

Date: 18 JulyDr. Tracy C. BECKER (USA)Host institution: Kyoto UniversityTitle: “Base Isolation: Using Flexibility to Protect Buildings from Earthquakes”

Kyoto Prefectural Jonan Ryoso High School

Date: 13 SeptemberDr. Claudio RICCI (Italy)Host institution: Kyoto UniversityTitle: “Observing the Hot Universe”

Osaka Prefectural Hirakata Senior High School

Date: 24 SeptemberDr. Noureldin A. N. GHAZY (Egypt)Host institution: Kyoto UniversityTitle: “Environmental and Molecular Approach for Cold Storage of Natural Enemies”

Osaka Prefectural Tennoji High School

Date: 16 JulyDr. Csongor I. GEDEON (Hungary)Host institution: Kyoto UniversityTitle: “Hungary and Japan; A few Words about Science and Career; Why Soil Fauna is Important and a New, Automated System for Monitoring Them”

Saga Prefectural Chienkan Senior High School

Date: 21 SeptemberDr. Fabien ARRIBERT-NARCE (France)Host institution: Tokyo University of Foreign Studies Title: “Artistic and Cultural Exchanges Between France and Japan in the 20th Century. The Origins of a Mutual Fascination.”

Kumamoto Prefectural Daini High School

Date: 1 JulyDr. Zdenek LAJBNER (Czech)Host institution: Okinawa Institute of Science and TechnologyTitle: “From Fish to Mitochondria”

Ikeda High School (Kagoshima)

Date: 1 JulyDr. Binita SHRESTHA (Nepal)Host institution: Kagoshima UniversityTitle: “Basic Concepts in Molecular Biology”

JSPS operates the Japan-Affiliated Research Community Network (JARC-Net) database. Its purpose is to support the maintenance and expansion of working networks forged between Japan and other countries over long years of implementing JSPS’s various international exchange and fellowship programs.

Registered members of the database are able to access other members’ profiles, including their names, affiliations, positions, research fields, and education/work histories. They can then use this information to look for new research partners or to broaden support for their activities by mobilizing past colleagues, such as university or JSPS program alumni. Members are also provided an information mail service on JSPS’s international exchange and cooperation programs.

Registration in JARC-Net is open to all who are interested in research exchange between Japan and other countries, including but not limited to overseas students and researchers who have experienced stays in Japan, Japanese researchers interested in research exchanges with colleagues in other countries, international exchange program administrators in universities and research institutions, and corporate R&D personnel.

We look forward to you registering on and taking active advantage of our JARC-Net service. Please visit our website: http://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-affiliated/.

JSPS Fellows Plaza

Welcome to JARC-Net


Hailing from Colombia, Dr. Oscar Andres Gómez Salgado came to Japan to pursue postgraduate degrees at Tohoku University. Just after receiving his PhD, the Great East Japan Earthquake struck in the vicinity of his university. It triggered the theme of his subsequent research for which he was awarded a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2011. To advance that work he moved to Doshisha University in Kyoto to collaborate with his host Prof. Yoichi Mine.

- What kind of research are you doing un-der your JSPS fellowship?

The title of my research is “Protect-ing and empowering as one—Securing humans from borderless disasters.” I am mainly researching the international inter-face that emerged after the Great East Ja-pan Earthquake. The research comprises three sub-themes: Information provision, identity and risk perception/reaction, and the role of international organizations. It in-cludes analyzing the posture of foreigners during disasters, elucidating the influence of information and communication tech-nologies during disasters, and examining the role of embassies and foreign organiza-tions with respect to foreigners caught up in disasters.

- We understand your having experienced the massive earthquake in northeastern Japan sparked your interest in this field.

Yes. I obtained my PhD in 2011 from To-hoku University. Before that, I did research on Japan’s four major pollution-related dis-eases in my master’s program, then went on to study the theory and practice of hu-man security in my doctoral program. Upon receiving my PhD, I encountered firsthand the huge earthquake that hit northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011. With my main interest being human security, experiencing that disaster provided a new juncture for putting my research into practice.

- How did you get to know your Japanese host researcher?

Prof. Mine is the Secretary General of the Japan Association of Human Security Studies and was also the founder of other organizations in this area. He was one of the evaluators of my PhD dissertation, which spawned our collaboration.

- What have you achieved so far through your research with Prof. Mine?

We have produced several papers re-

Research and Life in Japan by a JSPS Fellow (28)Series

Dr. Oscar Andres Gómez SalgadoJSPS Postdoctoral Fellow, Graduate School of Global Studies, Doshisha University, Japan, 2011-2013Collaborator for Research and Education, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, Japan, 2011Ph.D. (Environmental Studies (Human Security)), Tohoku University, Japan, 2011M.Sc. (Environmental Studies (Human Security)), Tohoku University, Japan, 2008B.Sc. (Chemical Engineering), National University of Colombia, 2002

lated to the March 11 disaster, taking the viewpoint of human security. That research explored many challenges that current di-saster-management systems will face in the near future. The topics we have addressed include the reaction to disasters by interna-tional students, panic over diminished food supplies, the difference between security and justice approaches to disasters, the role of foreign governments, asymmetries in information provision, and how identity comes into play during emergencies. Our research is grounded in extensive fieldwork and a large pool of data acquired in large part before the second anniversary of the tragedy. Hopefully, the draft of a book will be ready by the end of my fellowship.

- What is your impression of your host in-stitution?

Doshisha University is located in the center of Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital. I am grateful for the opportunity to do re-search at Doshisha, and am really enjoying my stay here. The university’s research resources are very good. It also offers a beautiful environment both on and off cam-pus.

- How do you spend time outside your re-search work?

I have a wife and a little son, so I spend most of my free time with them. Besides, I like to write and read literature. At home I also do some DJing and play board games. Because of the baby, we cannot travel as much as we would like to.

- What do you think of life in Japan, its cul-ture and customs?

I pretty much enjoy and feel identified with it. It is a great, mind-expanding experi-ence in the beginning and keeps getting better—until you hit a threshold from which there is no return.

- What did you think of your participation in the Science Dialogue Program?

Last year, I volunteered to participate in Science Dialogue and gave a lecture to high school students in Saga Prefecture. I enjoyed it a lot. Talking to high schoolers is always intimidating, but they were very kind to me during and after my talk, and their teachers were very supportive. Impressive-ly, I also came away from the experience with a better appreciation for the great di-versity of Japanese surnames.

- What do you plan to do after your fellow-ship ends?

I want to keep developing my career as a researcher on human security, hopefully through a job at an international organiza-tion, although a university or research in-stitute would also offer me a great platform for interaction on both the global and local levels.

- Please give some advice for young re-searchers who may be thinking about do-ing research in Japan.

Since my research touches upon issues related to disasters and the response of foreigners caught up in them, I cannot help but focus my comments on that subject.

Japanese society as a whole is very well prepared to deal with all kinds of disasters. To take advantage of that preparation, I would advise them to be sure to attend drills at their university and to read at least once the manuals available. Then, please convey the disaster-related information you obtain from the drills and literature to your family members.

Most of the information one needs when a disaster strikes is obtainable in the local media—radio, newspapers and TV channels, not in the international media and, some times, not even in the national


For most people, Kyoto does not need an introduction. Over a thousand years, Kyoto was Japan’s imperial capital, making a visit to the ancient city almost mandatory for anyone coming to Japan. There are so many temples and shrines, museums, historical attractions, and shops offering traditional goods and cuisines that the two years of a JSPS fellowship would not be long enough to exhaust all that the city has to offer. Kyoto is not only a mecca for the historical, but also for the modern, as it attracts many genres of artists and even hosts a famous manga museum.

Kyoto’s exuberance is not only urban but also rural as the prefecture the city seats features one of Japan’s most beautiful scenic spots: Amanohashidate (“bridge in heaven”), a thin strip of pine-clad land stretching across the Miyazu Bay. Possibly because it is located about a 2-hour train ride from Kyoto, the place receives less attention than the city by both foreign and local visitors, but it is definitely a must see. Viewed from the neighboring hills, Amanohashidate is a truly gorgeous sight to behold. If you decide to go there, be sure to

Introducing Japan: Kyoto

Kyoto 京都

media—so JSPS fellows should acquaint themselves with their local media (at least know that they exist!). Yes, the information provided will be in Japanese, but figures transmit information, while plenty of people will be willing to translate for you. If you group together with other foreigners during an emergency, you should keep the door open for updated information while observ-ing what the locals are doing and talking with them before making decisions—you are all experiencing the same situation.

That said, there is a Japanese proverb that I find very illuminating when it comes to emergencies: 遠い親戚より近くの他人. “The stranger close to you will be more helpful than the relative far away.” Disasters make no distinction between nationalities—during them, people are always willing to help each other.

Dr. Gomez Salgado’s research theme is attracting wide attention, as disasters are a concern of everybody around the world.

He speaks with a voice of experience. The outcomes of his work are expected to add new dimensions to crisis management. Intriguingly, not limited to emergency response, his research offers tips for living in unfamiliar places. At Doshisha University, he is enjoying his collaboration with co-researchers and with his family in the deeply cultural city of Kyoto. Advancing research with his colleagues amidst this ideal environment, he will most certainly make significant contributions to creating a safer, more secure human society.

give the local custom a try: Turning your back to the bay, bend over and look at it upside down through your legs. What you will see is supposed to be the image of a bridge floating in the heavens. Although, I must confess that for me it appeared to be more like a tail growing between my legs.

Another greatly attractive characteristic of Kyoto is its nearby environmental amenities. Its surrounding mountains offer multiple options from a pleasant walk to trekking and even skiing. In every season the mountains have their attractions: Frozen lakes in the winter, fresh green in the spring, cool relief during summer, and breathtaking scenery in the fall. Above all, there is no experience

more intrinsic to life in Kyoto than indulging oneself in a lazy afternoon on the banks of the Kamo River. Sitting under cherry trees in the spring you get a glimpse of how common people enjoy simple pleasures: Sporting with friends, picnicking with family, reading alone, practicing yosakoi (traditional dance jazzed up with modern music), or just watching the water flow by. All in all, Kyoto is a great place to live and do research.

Floating bridge of Amanohashidate

With wife and son

Doshisha University

●


Cover photo:Beautiful Winter CranesWintering in Hokkaido, these migrating cranes are believed to bring with them happiness, long life and peace for the Japanese people.

For further information on JSPS’s organization and programs, please visit our website [www.jsps.go.jp/english/], or mail or fax inquiries to JSPS Fellows Plaza using the address or fax number given below. JSPS Quarterly and our brochure may also be downloaded.

● JSPS Fellows Plaza5-3-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083Tel: +81-3-3263-1872 Fax: +81-3-3263-1854http://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-plaza/

Information can also be obtained from our regional offices listed below.

● JSPS Washington Office2001 L Street, N.W., Suite 1050,Washington, D.C. 20036, USATel: +1-202-659-8190 Fax: +1-202-659-8199E-mail: [email protected]://www.jspsusa.org/

● JSPS San Francisco Office2001 Addison Street, Suite 260,Berkeley, CA 94704, USATel: +1-510-665-1890 Fax: +1-510-665-1891E-mail: [email protected]://www.jspsusa-sf.org/

● JSPS Bonn OfficeWissenschaftszentrum, Ahrstr. 58, 53175,Bonn, GERMANYTel: +49-228-375050 Fax: +49-228-957777E-mail: [email protected]://www.jsps-bonn.de/

● JSPS London Office14 Stephenson Way, London, NW1 2HD, UKTel: +44-20-7255-4660 Fax: +44-20-7255-4669E-mail: [email protected]://www.jsps.org/

● JSPS Stockholm OfficeRetzius Vag 3, S171 77 Stockholm, SWEDENTel: +46-8-5248-4561 Fax: +46-8-31-38-86E-mail: [email protected]://www.jsps-sto.com/

● JSPS Strasbourg OfficeMaison Universitaire France-Japon42a, avenue de la Forêt-Noire,67000 Strasbourg, FRANCETel: +33-3-6885-2017 Fax: +33-3-6885-2014E-mail: [email protected]://jsps.u-strasbg.fr/

● JSPS Bangkok OfficeNo. 1016/1, 10th Fl., Serm-Mit Tower,159 Sukhumvit Soi 21,Bangkok 10110, THAILANDTel: +66-2-661-6533 Fax: +66-2-661-6535E-mail: [email protected]://www.jsps-th.org/

● JSPS Beijing Office616 Library of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)33 Beisihuan Xilu, Zhongguancun,Beijing 100190, P. R. CHINATel: +86-10-6253-8332 Fax: +86-10-6253-8664E-mail: [email protected]://www.jsps.org.cn/

● JSPS Cairo Research Station9 Al-Kamel Muhammad Street,Flat No. 4, Zamalek, Cairo, EGYPTTel & Fax: +20-2-27363752E-mail: [email protected]://jspscairo.com/

● JSPS Nairobi Research StationPlot No.30, Bernard Estate, Off James Gichuru Road,Maji Mazuri Road to El Molo Drive, Lavington, Nairobi, KENYATel: +254-20-4348000E-mail: [email protected]://www.jspsnairobi.org/

About JSPSThe Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) operates as an independent administrative institution to perform the following main functions: fund scientific research, foster researchers, promote international scientific exchange, and advance university reform.

Crowing Rooster, Emblem of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

From days of old in Japan, it has been the belief that the vigorous cry of the rooster in the gray of the morning augurs the coming of a new and bright day. As the crowing rooster can therefore be thought of as a harbinger of the kind of new knowledge that promises a brilliant future for humankind, it was chosen as the emblem of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. This emblem was designed in 1938 by Professor Sanzo Wada of Tokyo Fine Arts School to depict the rooster that symbolizes the breaking dawn in a verse composed by Emperor Showa.

New Subscribers, Address Changes, Reader Comments

Contact us at the below email address or fax number if you are not a current subscriber and interested in receiving the JSPS Quarterly, or are a subscriber but have changed your mailing address.

Please let us have your comments and impressions about the newsletter.

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